Naver Expands E-commerce Ecosystem... Exchanges 130 Billion KRW Stake with Cafe24

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Nahum] Naver announced on the 10th that it will carry out a mutual share exchange worth 130 billion KRW with the e-commerce platform Cafe24 to accelerate the growth and global expansion of SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises).

The two companies have decided to combine their capabilities so that various business operators, including SMEs, can design their businesses according to their own circumstances.

The areas of cooperation include ▲ strengthening connections between shopping malls such as Smart Store and Brand Store ▲ supporting efficient and rapid growth through competitive technology solutions and marketing collaboration ▲ supporting global expansion.

With enhanced linkage between Smart Store, Brand Store, and Cafe24, business operators who have grown through Smart Store will find it easier to open D2C (Direct to Consumer) shopping malls to build their own brands through Cafe24.

Additionally, shopping mall solutions, marketing services, and sales and operation support services provided by Cafe24 will also be available to Naver Smart Store SMEs.

The two companies ultimately plan to support SMEs to grow rapidly even overseas, firmly establishing themselves as tech-based commerce companies in the global market.

Furthermore, they plan to expand the scope of cooperation to areas such as building a fulfillment alliance, strengthening competitiveness of financial services like Naver Pay, and technology fields including AI and cloud.

Han Seong-sook, CEO of Naver, said, "The cooperation between the two companies, which will accelerate the growth of the D2C model, will be a driving force for the growth of countless SMEs and a cornerstone for global expansion. We will combine the potential of Smart Store with the know-how of Cafe24, which has various medium and large sellers, to further grow the commerce ecosystem."

Meanwhile, Naver's recent investment was made using its own shares. The acquired stake in Cafe24 is 14.99%.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.